During the spring of 2006, graduating senior Brittany McComb was chosen to give the valedictory speech at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nev., by virtue of achieving the highest GPA in the school. After composing her remarks, she submitted them to school administrators according to standard district policy. School administrators, with the advice of their district legal counsel, censored her speech, deleting all three Bible references, several references to “the Lord” and the only mention of… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 21, 2009 at 10:30pm —
No Comments
During the spring of 2006, graduating senior Brittany McComb was chosen to give the valedictory speech at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nev., by virtue of achieving the highest GPA in the school. After composing her remarks, she submitted them to school administrators according to standard district policy. School administrators, with the advice of their district legal counsel, censored her speech, deleting all three Bible references, several references to “the Lord” and the only mention of… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 21, 2009 at 10:30pm —
No Comments
The movie-making church that filmed "Fireproof" and "Facing the Giants" announced its next release Sunday night -- "Courageous," a movie about fatherhood that the church hopes will convict men to rise up and be spiritual leaders of their children and families.
This is one I will recommend for sure. Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 17, 2009 at 9:07am —
No Comments
Paul instructs us in Eph. 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her."
And as fathers in Eph. 6 Paul writes "Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4
Those two verses clearly lay out the job assignment for us as dads and husbands. If we are going to give ourselves up and be a radically committed husband and dad, we need to have a teachable heart.
Many of you kn… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 12, 2009 at 6:30am —
No Comments
Recently I had the opportunity to speak to a group of student pastors from SC. The event was hosted by the SC Baptist Convention. Steve Rohrlack gives leadership to this important ministry for the convention. He and his team were a joy to work with and they provided excellent leadership for this annual event.
There were 175 student pastors present which was by far the largest attendance they have ever had. I believe the attendance was a direct reflection on the passion of pastors to have a grea… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 10, 2009 at 7:30pm —
No Comments
A researcher argues that the future of youth ministry will require bringing the generations together.
An Interview with Kara Powell | posted 9/18/2009
The statistics are grim. Rainer Research estimates that 70 percent of young people leave the church by age 22. Barna Group argues that the figure increases to 80 percent by age 30. The Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest denomination, recently observed that growth in their churches is failing to keep up with the birth rate. Taken toget… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 7, 2009 at 5:41pm —
No Comments
Being a parent is . . . . well, it's . . . it's . . . it's an irrepressible flow of superlatives.
It's incomparable.
It's life's highest privilege.
It's nuts!
It's hard. It's wonderful. It's tough. It's indescribably fulfilling. It's challenging like no job in the world!
I receive dozens and dozens of emails from parents who are asking serious questions about the tough times . . . the really tough times of elementary school, pre-adolescence and adolescence. One statement from Matthew 5 and… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 4, 2009 at 7:30pm —
No Comments
"The former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas says she had a "change of heart" after watching an abortion last month — and she quit her job and joined a pro-life group in praying outside the facility.
Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus "crumple" as it was vacuumed out of a patient's u… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on November 3, 2009 at 9:13am —
No Comments
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 30, 2009 at 6:00am —
No Comments
'A Louisiana couple admitted giving an exotic bird to a woman in exchange for two children, a district attorney said Wednesday.
Paul and Brandy Romero, of Eunice, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of sale of a minor child, Evangeline Parish District Attorney Trent Brignac's office said in a statement. Their five-year prison sentences were suspended in exchange for their testimony against the woman accused of handing over the children, Donna Greenwell of Glenmora, the statement said.
The Rome… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 28, 2009 at 6:00am —
No Comments
I received an encouraging email from a friend recently relating to a ministry God led us to a few years ago. One of the largest unreached people groups in the US is our special needs population and their families. Watch this amazing video to see how the Joy Prom Has made its way all the way to California.
Two years ago we received word about a church that held a Joy Prom in Las Vegas.
If you go to… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 26, 2009 at 3:00am —
No Comments
Great article about some young men that God is using. Praise the Lord!
America’s largest church has a capacity to hold 16,000. But while Tim Tebow may not be a preacher, when he runs into the University of Florida’s football Stadium—affectionately known as “The Swamp”—his congregation numbers just over 90,000. And you can bet they’re hearing Tim’s message.
It’s not just that this University of Florida quarterback wears Bible verses etched into his eye black on game days. Tim Tebow has been mak… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 22, 2009 at 6:00am —
No Comments
The global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly 1 in 4 people in the world practice Islam, according to a report Wednesday billed as the most comprehensive of its kind.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life report provides a precise number for a population whose size has long has been subject to guesswork, with estimates ranging anywhere from 1 billion to 1.8 billion.
The project, three years in the making, also presents a portrait of the Muslim world that might su… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 20, 2009 at 4:30am —
No Comments
Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) served as the first post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779. A prominent figure in the American Revolution, Henry is known and remembered for his "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech, and as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
"I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is t… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 18, 2009 at 5:30am —
No Comments
"Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing.
A shocking new study of Americans’ religious beliefs shows the beginnings of a major realignment in Americans’ relationship with God. The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reveals that Protestants now represent half of all Americans, down almost 20 percent in the last twenty years. In the coming months, America will become a minority Protestant nation for the first time since the pilgrims.… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 16, 2009 at 4:00am —
No Comments
This story is from Foxnews.
"A public high school in Georgia that recently banned banners containing Bible verses from being displayed at its football games will designate an area roughly 50 yards away from the field for cheerleaders, students and others to erect signs with religious themes, the school's principal said Wednesday.
The decision comes after a group of cheerleaders were told they could no longer display the religious banners — a mainstay at the school for eight years — on the foot… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 14, 2009 at 7:00am —
No Comments
Recently I was asked by a group from a nearby church to consider a few questions that they have been pondering. Here is a list of the questions they sent me before our phone conversation which let me know that they were very serious.
Youth Ministry Task Force – Proposed Questions
General Questions
Do you have a mix of high schools and middle schools represented within your congregation?
Is any one school (middle/high/or both) dominant?
How many kids (middle and high school) are in yo… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 12, 2009 at 3:00am —
No Comments
Following is an article by Mike Calhoun from Word of Life. Mike talks about the important role of parents.
"Autonomous (capable of independent function) Youth Ministry - Part 4
Highly-effective youth ministries also have a parent ministry focus. The home should be the primary resource for spiritual training; however, we all know there are many spiritually-deficient homes. Is it our responsibility to be surrogate parents and tak… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 10, 2009 at 6:30am —
No Comments
Article from USA Today.
"Protestant churches are losing young adults in "sobering" numbers, a survey finds.
Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 — both evangelical and mainline — who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to the survey by LifeWay Research. And 34% of those said they had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30. That means about one in four Protestant young people have left the church.
"This is sobering news that the church need… Continue
Added by Steve Wright on October 8, 2009 at 2:30am —
No Comments
